Brett Seymour leaves Warriors with drink drive conviction

Vodafone Warriors NRL rugby league star Brett Seymour is leaving the club with a court conviction after he fled from the police and was caught drink-driving at twice the legal limit.

The 27-year-old was seen by police driving erratically on Church St, near his Onehunga home, and sped up when he noticed a marked police car following him at 10.40pm last Thursday.

Seymour then passed another car and refused to stop when the police activated their car’s lights and sirens.

He eventually pulled over after a 500m pursuit.

The Australian player, who was given a career lifeline by the Warriors in 2009 after being sacked by two previous clubs, failed a breath-alcohol test.

He blew 981mcg of alcohol per litre of breath – more than twice the 400mcg limit.

Unshaven and dressed in jeans and T-shirt, Seymour yesterday pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court to drink-driving and failing to stop for police.

His lawyer, Melanie Coxon, said Seymour had been drinking with friends before “unwisely” deciding to drive home.

She gave a letter from Seymour to the court, and asked that he be sentenced to fines and disqualification.

Community magistrate Joanna Sihamu told Seymour he deserved credit for admitting guilt at the earliest opportunity after what she described as a “silly driving manoeuvre” and an “excessively high” breath-alcohol test.

She did not read his letter to the court, but told Seymour he was “endeavouring to work with your issues”.

He was disqualified from driving for seven months and fined $950 with $132 court costs, on the drink-driving charge. He was convicted and discharged for failing to stop.

Outside court, Seymour refused to comment. He is leaving the Warriors to play for English club Hull on a three-year contract.

On October 29, Seymour married Roseanne Hogan in a ceremony that included a a stretch Hummer limousine and a chihuahua called Pinky as maid of honour.

His wife told the Woman’s Weekly that Seymour – once described by Australian media as the bad boy of rugby league -had been on the straight and narrow since coming to New Zealand.